July 2008

July 31, 2008

At Get Away Today, we make dreams come true each day by sending people to the Happiest Place on Earth! Here are some things you'll want to experience to ensure your dreams come true when visiting the Disneyland Resort!

1. Meet Mickey Mouse! Walt Disney once said, "My only hope is that we never lose sight of one thing, that it was all started by a mouse." No visit is complete without meeting the world-famous mouse that began it all. Make your way over to Mickey’s House in Toontown where you will be guaranteed a visit with Mickey! Be sure to bring your camera to capture your treasured moments.

2. Stroll down Main Street, U.S.A.! Take a step back in time to the early 1900s on this small town street lined with gas lamps and charming shops. Revel in the nostalgic atmosphere as the strains of a barber shop quartet drift over the chatter of the crowds and clanging bells of the horse drawn streetcars. Treat yourself to a cone at the Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor and duck into the Emporium where you will be sure to find the perfect souvenir. Plus, when you book a 3 Day or longer length Disneyland® Resort Park Hopper® BONUS Ticket through Get Away Today Vacations, you will receive an EXCLUSIVE 2 Magic Morning Early Entries! This will give you access to Main Street as well as other selected attractions one hour before the general public is allowed entrance.

3. Dine with the characters! The Disneyland® Resort boasts an exciting array of Character Dining options. Kick off your day with a mouthwatering breakfast buffet at Goofy’s Kitchen at the Disneyland® Hotel, the Lilo and Stitch Aloha Breakfast at the Disney’s Paradise Pier® Hotel, the Chip ‘n Dale Critter Breakfast at the Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa, or the “Minnie & Friends” breakfast inside Disneyland® Park. Goofy’s Kitchen also offers delectable lunch and dinner buffets. Ariel's Disney Princess Celebration at Ariel’s Grotto in Disney’s California Adventure® Park is the paramount opportunity for young princesses to mingle with their favorite Disney royalty while enjoying breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Save 10% by purchasing tickets through Get Away Today which already include tax and gratuity!

4. Stay at a Disney Property! For ultimate convenience and an extra dose of Disney magic, the three Disneyland® Resort hotels are perfect for your vacation stay. The only hotel located directly inside a Disney theme park, Disney’s Grand Californian® Hotel & Spa envelopes guests in Craftsman luxury. “The Grand” also offers its own private entrance into Disney’s California Adventure® Park (available to all guests staying at a Disney hotel) which can save valuable time. Disney’s Paradise Pier® Hotel beckons to sun-worshiping vacationers with its 1950s California beach theme and rooftop pool. The Disneyland® Hotel is the preeminent property for all things Disney from themed excitement of the Neverland Pool to the glow-in-the-dark pixie dust sprinkled along the wall borders. Plus, guests who stay at a Disney property will receive a Magic Morning Early Entry for each day it’s offered during their stay!

5. Toy Story Mania! Visit the Disneyland® Resort’s newest attraction located in the boardwalk area of Disney’s California Adventure® Park. Grab a pair of 3-D glasses and test your aim as you make your way through a variety of midway style games hosted by your favorite Toy Story characters. Compete against your family and friends for the high score. Utilizing the most cutting edge technology, this is a ride unlike any you’ve ever experienced before!

6. Soarin’ Over California: Catch a bird’s-eye view of the Golden State on this popular simulated hang glider ride in Disney’s California Adventure® Park. Your senses will soar as you step into the role of aviator and swoop down over the Golden Gate Bridge, orange orchards, frothy ocean waves, and other stunning geographical sites. Be sure to get a FASTPASS® for Soarin’ early in the day; the line tends to get long very quickly!

July 29, 2008

As part of Utah’s Pioneer Day festivities Susan Horman and Mark McGowan were both lucky recipients of a Get Away Today 3-Day Deluxe San Diego Vacation with SeaWorld tickets for four. These prizes were awarded to two Utah residents who listened for clues while watching the Pioneer Day Parade on KSL. Susan and Mark contacted KSL with the correct answers, and were selected randomly as the winners out of thousands of entries. Congratulations!!

July 22, 2008

July 17, 2008 - Anaheim, CA - The interior of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland will open in time for the December holiday season, offering guests a “reawakened” version of its classic walkthrough presentation kissed with vibrant scenes of Aurora, her charming prince, the evil Maleficent and other characters from the beloved fairy tale film.

“It is fitting that we are announcing the return of a classic on the 53rd anniversary of Disneyland,” said Tony Baxter, Senior Vice President of Creative Development for Walt Disney Imagineering, who unveiled a model of the castle on July 17, the birthday of Disneyland Park.

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty,” and the excitement generated by the anniversary of the motion picture spurred interest in the return of the Disneyland attraction.Also celebrating the milestone 50th Anniversary of “Sleeping Beauty” is Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, which will release a two-disc Platinum Blu-ray™ Hi-Def disc, making “Sleeping Beauty” the first Walt Disney animated classic title to be released in high definition, as well as on two-disc Platinum DVD. A bonus feature on the new release will be “The Original Sleeping Beauty Walk-Through Attraction With Walt Disney Imagineering,” an immersive experience recreating the original castle walkthrough.

On April 29, 1957, nearly two years before the premiere of Walt Disney’s animated feature “Sleeping Beauty,” the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough opened with an in-park ceremony featuring Walt Disney and actress Shirley Temple who, some 20 years earlier, had presented Disney with his special Academy Award – one Oscar and seven little ones – for “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”

The crafting of the 1957 walkthrough show fell to Walt Disney Imagineer Ken Anderson and animation art director and color stylist Eyvind Earle, credited with giving the motion picture “Sleeping Beauty” the distinctive and colorful look of storybook illustrations in medieval style. An entirely new look appeared in 1977 when the attraction’s redesign featured miniature dioramas, including moving figurines similar to the window displays in the shops on Main Street, U.S.A.

When the attraction is unveiled later this year, the “show” will differ from the dioramas of the 1980s and ‘90s, returning to the unique style of the original 1957 show and motion picture. Enhanced with new scenes and special effects magic, the re-Imagineered attraction will employ technology not available in the 1950s to represent scenes from the story of Sleeping Beauty, including the magic of good fairies Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, and the more sinister spells of the evil Maleficent.

For the first time, guests who are unable to climb stairs or navigate the passageways of the Castle will be able to experience the walkthrough “virtually” in a special room on the ground floor of the Castle.